Scientific Doubt

I was just trying to understand what I am sure is a very elementary explanation of some doubts which have developed in the science of cosmology (origin of the universe stuff). Here is a sort of summary of the situation from an article in American Scientist.

In its original form, an expanding Einstein model had an attractive, economic elegance. Alas, it has since run into serious difficulties, which have been cured only by sticking on some ugly bandages: inflation to cover horizon and flatness problems; overwhelming amounts of dark matter to provide internal structure; and dark energy, whatever that might be, to explain the seemingly recent acceleration. A skeptic is entitled to feel that a negative significance, after so much time, effort and trimming, is nothing more than one would expect of a folktale constantly re-edited to fit inconvenient new observations.

My first thought was I will never be able to bend my mind in such a way as to understand all of this. However, my second thought is if the Einstein model is being held to scientific scrutiny and doubt by other scientists, it is not completely absurd to question the conclusions of Al Gore...even if he did invent the internet.